Here's an update on the long-awaited and much anticipated AC&Y-A&BB book in light of the announcement regarding the future of AC&YHS and our quarterly magazine. As outlined previously, the Society is working with Morning Sun Books, a high-quality publisher with a National distribution network, to produce a 128-page, all-color hardback publication featuring both the AC&Y and Akron and Barberton Belt Line (A&BB) Railroads. The book will include more than 220 images, most not seen before. This is a collaborative effort of more than twenty positive and productive individual contributors. The "book team" has been terrific and it has been a fun and rewarding journey. We are nearing completion of the A&BB draft which will comprise 1/3 of the book or 36-38 pages. As the AC&Y portion features information previously developed from our extensive Archive, it should progress fairly fast. We are hope full that the book will be available early next year (2014). Lastly, for modelers, we do have Morning Sun's blessing to include what previously were called "color guide" photos, essentially a visual profile of AC&Y's revenue freight cars and non-revenue MOW equipment and cabooses.

We are still looking for steam-era color images if anyone is aware of any. Based on recent finds, we believe there are steam-to-diesel transition year (1945-55) images still out there.

Thanks to Society book team contributions, we continue to make excellent progress on the planned Morning Sun publication which will feature the AC&Y and A&BB railroads, also with N&W, NS, W&LE and ABC Cluster coverage. This will be a 128-page publication with more than 300 images, most of them "never-seen-before" color. We are still looking for transition era color images showing AC&Y or A&BB steam. As both roads operated both steam and diesel motive power from 1945-1955, we feel color images still exist. Also, color negatives have produced results equal to color slide transparencies and in several instances, high-quality color photos have yielded potentially great book images.

The final book layout drafts are nearing completion. The submission to Morning Sun should be made just after the Holidays. We are presenting the layouts in Publisher's software formats which will speed the process after our submission. We will keep you posted on the book progress and anticipated release date. You will be amazed and proud of this book! REL